"Chautauqua is a place of beauty and of healing - a place where, in Mary A. Lathbury's words, 'heaven is touching earth with rest'." (from a pamphlet for Blessing and Healing).
There are some places on earth where it does seem especially true that 'heaven is touching' and there is a time for rejuvenation of the soul. This part of southwestern New York state has always been known for its spiritual awareness....here at Chautauqua Institution, nearby Lily Dale (spiritualist community from the 1880s); near the spot where LDS Joseph Smith found his message; near hilltops where folks traveled in the 18840s to await the return of God - even close to where women found the gusto and gathered to declare their rights as equal beings to men. Whether one can believe or accept such, there is something downright mystical about this area. For me, it has given rest, reflection, thought, and blessings....so many blessings. - Beth Almond Ford
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